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This, however, raises a problem deserving investigation in
itself: what has happened when a definite magnitude of water
becomes air, and how do we explain the increase of volume? But
for the present we must be content with the matter thus far
discussed out of all the varied controversy accumulated on either
side.
It remains for us to make out on our own account the true
explanation of the phenomenon of mixing, without regard to the
agreement or disagreement of that theory with any of the current
opinions mentioned.
When water runs through wool or when papyrus-pulp gives up its
moisture why is not the moist content expressed to the very last
drop or even, without question of outflow, how can we possibly
think that in a mixture the relation of matter with matter, mass
with mass, is contact and that only the qualities are fused? The
pulp is not merely in touch with water outside it or even in its
pores; it is wet through and through so that every particle of
its matter is drenched in that quality. Now if the matter is
soaked all through with the quality, then the water is everywhere
in the pulp.
"Not the water; the quality of the water."
But then, where is the water? and [if only a quality has entered]
why is there a change of volume? The pulp has been expanded by
the addition: that is to say it has received magnitude from the
incoming substance but if it has received the magnitude,
magnitude has been added; and a magnitude added has not been
absorbed; therefore the combined matter must occupy two several
places. And as the two mixing substances communicate quality and
receive matter in mutual give and take so they may give and take
magnitude. Indeed when a quality meets another quality it suffers
some change; it is mixed, and by that admixture it is no longer
pure and therefore no longer itself but a blunter thing, whereas
magnitude joining magnitude retains its full strength.
But let it be understood how we came to say that body passing
through and through another body must produce disintegration,
while we make qualities pervade their substances without
producing disintegration: the bodilessness of qualities is the
reason. Matter, too, is bodiless: it may, then, be supposed that
as Matter pervades everything so the bodiless qualities
associated with it- as long as they are few- have the power of
penetration without disintegration. Anything solid would be
stopped either in virtue of the fact that a solid has the precise
quality which forbids it to penetrate or in that the mere
coexistence of too many qualities in Matter [constitutes density
and so] produces the same inhibition.
If, then, what we call a dense body is so by reason of the
presence of many qualities, that plenitude of qualities will be
the cause [of the inhibition].
If on the other hand density is itself a quality like what they
call corporeity, then the cause will be that particular quality.
This would mean that the qualities of two substances do not bring
about the mixing by merely being qualities but by being apt to
mixture; nor does Matter refuse to enter into a mixing as Matter
but as being associated with a quality repugnant to mixture; and
this all the more since it has no magnitude of its own but only
does not reject magnitude.
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